Pregnant in week 20
Halfway! In week 20 your baby is the size of a banana, you can probably feel clear kicks, and your bump is unmistakable. It is also the week of the public anomaly scan – and one of the very best times to find out the sex if you are still waiting.
Your baby in week 20
From around this week your baby is measured crown to heel instead of crown to rump, so the length suddenly jumps to around 25 cm. The weight is about 300 grams.
Your baby now has distinct periods of sleep and wakefulness – often with an entirely personal rhythm that rarely matches yours. They practise swallowing, drink amniotic fluid, and the first stool, meconium, builds up in the bowel and is normally only passed after birth.
The skin is covered by a protective layer of vernix caseosa and fine hair (lanugo). Hearing continues to develop, and your baby can begin to register sounds and vibrations. The brain develops rapidly, and the areas involved in processing sensory input mature gradually. If you are expecting a girl, her ovaries already hold around six million egg cells.
Your body and symptoms in week 20
Your uterus now reaches the level of your navel – a classic landmark your midwife uses to assess growth. Most have gained 4-6 kilos, but the range is wide and says nothing about how the pregnancy is going.
Kicks have become clear. If you haven't felt them yet, that is still entirely normal, especially in a first pregnancy or if the placenta sits on the front wall. Over time you will get to know your baby's own pattern of movement. Later in pregnancy it is important to react if your baby moves less than usual.
The classic second-trimester complaints arrive: lower back pain as your centre of gravity shifts, swollen feet late in the day, heavy legs and perhaps varicose veins. Many also get thicker, fuller hair and stronger nails – one of pregnancy's few pure gains. Braxton Hicks contractions – short, painless tightenings where the uterus briefly hardens – may also start to be felt.
Good advice for week 20
Sleep on your side
From the second trimester it is recommended to sleep on your side rather than on your back, so the uterus doesn't press on the vena cava. A pregnancy pillow helps.
Strengthen your pelvic floor
Daily pelvic floor exercises prevent incontinence both during pregnancy and after birth. Three sets of ten squeezes a day.
Talk and sing to your bump
Your baby can hear you now and will recognise your voices after birth. That includes your partner – a deeper voice carries through more easily.
Consider birthplace and classes
Birth preparation and choosing where to give birth are typically planned in the second trimester, while you still have the energy.
Checklists for this stage
Tick things off as you go – the list remembers where you got to, and you can share it with your partner.
Relevant with us in week 20
This is what we can offer you at this point in your pregnancy.
Frequently asked questions in week 20
Is the anomaly scan the same as a scan with you?
No. The public anomaly scan is a thorough medical review of your baby's organs. Our scans are a supplement: more time, calm and focus on the experience – and on giving you reassurance between public check-ups.
When is the best time for a 3D/4D scan?
Between weeks 25 and 33, and ideally around week 28. Before week 25 your baby has too little fat under the skin, and after week 33 there is too little room for a clear view of the face.
I don't feel kicks every day – is that normal?
In week 20 movements are not yet regular and a quiet day is common. From around week 24 you should know your baby's pattern, and if it changes you should contact your midwife or maternity unit the same day.
Your pregnancy – week by week, in your inbox
Every time you enter a new week we send you what is happening with your baby and your body, good advice for the week – and when the different scans make sense. Unsubscribe with one click.
Read on in week 20
Gender scan – when can you see the sex? Everything you need to know (2026)
Feeling life – when and how do you feel the first fetal movements?
